Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Stillwater, Okla., has been awarded funding from the FTA for the purchase of CNG buses. The FTA funds, along with matching dollars, total $900,000.

OSU plans to replace its 20 diesel-powered buses with CNG buses over the next five years and expects the first eight to be in operation by the fall of 2009. The transit buses are those used on campus and within the Stillwater community. There are no plans to change the Big Orange Buses that travel between Stillwater and Tulsa.

“We have been evaluating alternative fuel options for several years,” said David Bosserman, OSU vice president for finance and administration. “We made the decision to include CNG as an alternative fuel option about a year ago.”

In addition, the university approved a contractor to construct, operate and maintain a CNG filling station on the Stillwater campus. The CNG station, which is expected to be up and running by the fall of 2009, will be available for use by the public.